Life In The UK Test: Free Practice Question 

Read through the below extract carefully. Once you’ve finished reading, have a go at answering the questions below the passage. Do your best to answer the questions without going back to the text. For more practice questions, check out our Life in the UK test book!

The Tudors

Henry VII did his utmost to ensure that there would be no repetition of the Wars of the Roses. In order to ensure this, he took steps to reduce the power of noblemen in England, and put more weight/authority behind the crown.

After he died, this was a policy that his son – Henry VIII – continued with.

Henry VIII

Henry VIII is one of the most famous kings in history, and for good reason. His break from the Church of Rome and his six wives have guaranteed that his memory lived on. Henry’s behaviour as king has been studied in great detail by historians and psychologists alike, and by many people he is remembered as the archetypal ‘tyrant’ king.

Henry had six wives over the course of his monarchy. Below we’ve broken down these marriages in brief detail, to give you an overview of the facts:

Catherine of Aragon. Henry’s first wife was Catherine of Aragon. Spanish born, she had a number of children with Henry, but only one child survived. This was a girl named Mary. Disappointed with the lack of male heir, Henry divorced Catherine once she became too old to have children.

Anne Boleyn. Next came Anne Boleyn. English born, Anne gave Henry another daughter, Elizabeth, but miscarried after falling pregnant again. She slowly fell out of favour with Henry’s inner circle, and then Henry himself. She was arrested on (probably false) charges of adultery and incest, and was executed at the Tower of London.

Jane Seymour. Jane Seymour was Henry’s third wife. She provided Henry with a son, Edward, but died after giving birth.

Anne of Cleves. Henry’s fourth wife was Anne of Cleves, a German princess. Henry married her purely for political reasons but quickly divorced her after realising that he didn’t find her attractive. Following the divorce, Henry and Anne became great friends.

Catherine Howard. Catherine Howard was a cousin of Anne Boleyn, and was very young when she married Henry. Their marriage did not last long.
Like Anne Boleyn, Catherine was accused of adultery and executed.

Catherine Parr. Catherine Parr was Henry’s final wife. She outlived Henry, before marrying again, but died shortly after.

Henry and Religion

Along with his marriages, Henry is also famous for the sweeping changes that he brought to religion. In order to divorce Catherine of Aragon (his first wife) Henry needed to gain the permission of the Pope. Unfortunately the Pope refused. Enraged by this decision, Henry took matters into his own hands. He set up his own church. This was known as the Church of England. In this church, the king had the power to decide how worship should be done, grant divorces and appoint bishops.

While Henry’s decision might seem rash, it was actually part of a wider movement of the times. People across Europe were becoming disillusioned with the authority of the Pope and were striking out against the Roman Catholic Church. Groups such as Protestants set up their own churches, refused to read in Latin and stopped believing in the authority of the church as a vessel for God. They did not pray to saints or shrines, and believed that a person’s own relationship with God was more important than submitting to the Church.

Henry followed this up by closing down Roman Catholic Abbeys, Monasteries and convents across England, Ireland and Wales. However, despite all this, England remained a Catholic country until Henry’s death in 1547 Henry also passed the Act for the Government of Wales. This united the two countries, with Welsh representatives in Parliament and a reformation of the Welsh legal system. Despite this, attempts to enforce the same values in Ireland did not go down so well, and led to open rebellion from Irish leaders.

Once Henry died, his son Edward took the throne. Edward was a devout Protestant, who introduced the Book of Common Prayer to the Church of England. Under Edward’s rule, England became a Protestant country and Catholics were treated very badly. However, Edward died at the age of 15, after which his half-sister Mary became queen. In huge contrast to Edward, Mary was a Catholic. She became known as ‘Bloody Mary’ after her harsh treatment towards Protestants, 280 of whom were burned at the stake. After a short reign, Mary died. She was replaced by her half-sister Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry and Anne Boleyn.

Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I is one of the most famous and popular monarchs in British history. Under Elizabeth, Britain found a better religious balance between Catholicism and Protestantism. While it was law to attend your local church, Elizabeth’s reign was marked by a lack of religious conflict, which had been so prevalent in the previous reigns. Despite this, Elizabeth was still a Protestant queen, so Catholics fared worse. She introduced the Elizabethan Religious Settlement, which required any public or church office members to swear allegiance to the queen as the head of church and state. Anyone who refused risked imprisonment or even execution. Catholics were largely marginalised by all of this, and resentment festered over into the reign of King James.

In 1588, the Spanish sent an Armada (a large group of ships) to invade England and restore Catholicism as the dominant religion. They were resoundingly beaten by Sir Francis Drake and Charles Howard, the commanders of the British fleet. This added to Elizabeth’s huge popularity.
Under Elizabeth, Britain expanded its geographic exploration. This led to the development of new trade routes, and British trading with new colonies. Sir Francis Drake led many of these expeditions. His ship, the Golden Hind, was one of the first to sail all the way round the world. During this period, English settlers began to colonise the eastern coast of America. This is something which was greatly expanded upon in the next century.

Elizabeth neither married nor had any children, and so the Tudor dynasty died with her in 1603. However, the impact she and her father left are still felt in Britain today. However, the impact she and her father left are still felt in Britain today.

Elizabeth’s reign is also famous for literary improvements. Chiefly amongst these, the works of a certain playwright…

William Shakespeare

Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the finest playwright of all time. His plays and poems are studied and performed frequently today, and his works have had an enormous impact on literature. Many of the most popular works in theatrical and literary history have roots in Shakespearean narratives, themes and concepts. Even the language we speak today has been heavily influenced by Shakespeare, as he invented a number of commonly used words and phrases.

Some of Shakespeare’s most popular plays include:
• Romeo and Juliet
• King Lear
• Macbeth
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• The Taming of the Shrew

Shakespeare’s plays were performed in the Globe Theatre. Today, there exists a modern copy of the Globe Theatre (in London) in which re-enactments are performed.

Mary Queen of Scots

Scotland had been heavily impacted by Protestant reforms. The Protestant Scottish Parliament made Catholicism illegal, and renounced the authority of the Pope. This was unfortunate for the young queen of Scotland, Mary Stuart, who was a Catholic. Mary was just 1 week old when her father died, and she was made queen. She spent the majority of her childhood in France, and returned to a very different Scotland. Forced to flee to England, Mary put her Protestant son, James VI, on the throne. She then sought protection from her cousin, Queen Elizabeth. Elizabeth, however, suspected Mary of trying to take the English throne. This was bolstered by the fact that many Catholics in the country considered Mary to be the rightful heir to the throne. After spending 20 years as a prisoner, Mary was eventually executed for plotting to kill Elizabeth.

Now test out what you’ve learned, with our revision quiz. The questions below are laid out in a similar format to the real test, so do your best to answer them based on what you read. The answers are in the next section